As a proud Waraynon, "Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0" Kapamilya 2nd Big Placer Krystal Mejes wears her unbreakable fighting spirit like it's part of her charisma. This strength traces back to her roots in Catbalogan, Samar, where she grew up unbothered by muddy feet, used to sleeping in a hammock on the farm, and spending her days playing with her cousins.
"Sa Catbalogan ako ipinanganak, lumaki at nag-aral. Sa Catbalogan talaga ang buhay ko noon,” she reminisced in an interview with Melai Cantiveros on the Bisaya talk show "Kuan on One."
Krystal is the only girl and the middle child in a brood of three. She has a 25-year-old half-brother, and a 12-year-old younger sibling, with whom she shares the same father. Her Australian dad was never entirely estranged from her. When she was little, he would occasionally visit her in Catbalogan, though those visits came to a halt after her parents separated when she was five.
They’ve kept in touch through calls and messages over the years, but seeing each other in person is a different story. Still, Krystal speaks of her father, a lawyer, with love and respect, describing him as “very strict” and “very firm.” She admittedly misses her dad, who now has another family in Australia, but she’s holding on to his promise that they’ll see each other again when she turns 18 this July.
Their family setup may not be the most conventional, but Krystal knows where her home is. "Ang puso ko, Waray talaga," she said before recalling her grounded life in the province that made her the kind of girl who’s effortlessly low-maintenance and at home in the simplest of settings.
"Sa Catbalogan, may farm kami. Pumupunta kami doon araw-araw. Doon kami natutulog, nagse-set up lang kami ng tent. Or, minsan sa plywood lang kami natutulog, o sa duyan. May dala lang kaming pamaypay. Sabay-sabay kaming kumakain sa dahon ng saging. Tapos 'yung lutuan namin doon sa may lupa lang. Wala akong arte sa katawan kasi sa farm ako lumaki. Minsan naglalakad ako na napuputikan 'yung paa ko. Hindi ako nagsusuot ng tsinelas doon, nakapaa lang ako. Kaya sa loob ng bahay ni kuya lagi lang akong nakapaa,” she looked back.
Her (failed) audition for “Goin’ Bulilit”
Krystal was surrounded by a supportive maternal family, especially her cousins, many of whom even traveled from Samar just to cheer her on at the "PBB Collab 2.0" Big Night. "Kaya doon pa lang sa pagmamahal ng pamilya ko sa akin, panalong panalo na ako," she gushed.
Even as a child, she already had a clear picture of what she wanted. She dreamed of becoming an actress, or if that path didn’t work out, the Plan B was to pursue law.
Her curiosity about acting started with mimicking what she saw on TV in front of the mirror. "Kaya sinasabihan ako ng mama ko na, 'Ano? Nasisiraan ka na ba? Sinong kausap mo d'yan?' Ganu'n sasabihin niya." Even her cousins would tease her for acting a little “crazy” back then, until her parents’ separation gave her a deeper motivation. She then convinced her mom, Lori, to take her to Manila and let her become a child star, hoping it would bring her family back together. "Ang rason ko sa pag-aartista ay para mapanood ako ni Daddy, para bumalik siya sa amin."
Though her dad wasn’t on board with the idea of her auditioning, her mom Lori chose to believe in her dream and went all in. Mommy Lori was brave enough to leave behind their life and even their business in Samar just to give Krystal a shot at what she’s always wanted, a sacrifice that Krystal now appreciates more as she grows older. "Nandun ang buhay niya. Nand'un ang pamilya namin tapos lumuwas kaming dalawa dito. Iniwan namin ang family namin doon," she shared, adding that her siblings were left in the care of their aunt—whom she fondly calls “Nanay.”
A cute, slightly "bungi" Krystal walked into her very first audition for the kiddie gag show "Goin’ Bulilit" alongside around 4,000 other hopefuls. She remembers Direk Bobot Mortiz facilitating the audition, where she was asked to sing, dance, act, and model, all of which she did albeit shy. The potential was there, however, she struggled with the language barrier during the interview portion, as she could only speak Waray. She knew a bit of Tagalog but wasn't comfortable with it.
Unfortunately, she didn’t make it in. Mommy Lori started to question if this was truly the fate meant for her daughter. But for Krystal, the only option was to hold on tighter. "Hindi ako uuwi hangga't hindi ako nagkakapangalan," she told Mommy Lori then.
Her big break in “Doble Kara”
And as it often goes, when one door closes, something even bigger opens. Not long after the failed "Goin' Bulilit" audition, she landed a major role in the afternoon series "Doble Kara" (2015-2017) playing the daughter of Julia Montes.
"Binigyan ako ng script na kailangan ko i-memorize agad," she looked back on the audition process. "Matigas pa 'yung pagbigkas ko tapos may punto pa. Basta, pangit pakinggan no'ng bata pa ako. 'Yung binigay pa sa akin na script sobrang haba. Pero na-memorize ko naman at naarte ko, so natanggap ako."
She and her mom found a clearer sense of direction. Mommy Lori hired someone to manage their business in Catbalogan, which helped cover their expenses as they moved from one place to another until they found a home near ABS-CBN.
As Krystal grew up in front of the camera, she fell deeper and deeper in love with acting, which she now sees herself doing for life. After "Doble Kara," she was given another big opportunity, this time stepping into kontrabida territory in the daytime series "Nang Ngumiti Ang Langit" (2019) that introduced her to some of her first real friends in the industry, including Miguel Vergara, whom she would later reunite with in "Lavender Fields" and then "PBB Collab 2.0."
"Nahirapan ako doon kasi hindi ako sanay magkontrabida," she confessed. "After 'Doble Kara,' ‘yung mga sunod kong natatanggap na projects mga 'MMK,' 'Ipaglaban Mo,' mga mababait na roles kasi gusto nila ako laging paiyakin."
"Hindi nga ako marunong magtaas ng kilay," she recalled the challenge of playing a villain at ten years old. But with the help of her mom, who stepped in as her unofficial acting coach, she studied how to channel that “bad girl” energy—probably layered with a little bit of that Waraynon fire she proudly carries.
As much as she was happy with her showbiz career taking off, Krystal admits it came at a cost. She struggled to keep up in school because of her busy schedule. "Minsan pumapasok ako sa school 'yung mga kaklase ko tapos na sa isang subject tapos ako nag-e-exam pa. Wala akong kaibigan sa school kasi lagi nga akong absent kasi nag-aartista ako. Walang pumapansin sa akin kasi hindi nila ako nakakasama sa school."
She switched to homeschooling when the pandemic hit in 2020. And with minors not allowed to work at the time, she was able to focus on her studies. Post-pandemic, she was reintroduced as part of the Star Magic Freshies, and eventually joined “PBB Collab 2.0” where she carried the moniker “Wishful Waray ng Samar.”
Now at 17, Krystal has learned how to juggle different facets of her life—from career to studies and friendships. Her circle is no longer limited to her cousins. She's now open to building more connections as long as they align with her values. "Gusto ko [sa friends] may shared common ground kami. May respeto, humility at compassion, 'yung pareho kami ng pananampalataya kasi gusto ko na nakakausap ko ang friends ko about God."
As she returns to the outside world and begins a new chapter, Krystal's Waraynon fighting spirit, anchored in faith, continues to guide her forward.
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